


What is Family?

by MargotSails



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Threat of Rape, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2016-12-04
Packaged: 2018-08-13 23:43:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7990624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MargotSails/pseuds/MargotSails
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carol was never at the quarry. When her group captures the team will she help them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Daryl could hear voices, but couldn’t see anything through the hood over his head. He could feel Rick and Maggie on either side of him and he used that to stay calm. They had all been asleep in the woods with Tyreese and Tara on watch when they were attacked by another group. The group had used the guise of walkers and were able to over run them. They had tied their hands and feet and placed hoods over their heads. They were thrown into trucks and then thrown roughly on the ground where they all sat now. 

Daryl could feel the barely contained rage radiating through Ricks coiled body as Judith wailed in the distance. 

“Somebody shut that kid up!” someone shouted close by. Daryl felt Rick try to stand but heard the sound of a kick and then Rick fell grunting with the impact. There was laughter as Daryl heard another blow land against Rick body.

The laughter stopped abruptly and Daryl tilted his head trying to gauge the reason. 

“Where were they?” a gruff male voice questioned. 

“They were in the valley. We got em’ while they were sleeping,” another male voice answered. 

“Take off their hoods, let’s see what we’re dealing with,” the gruff voice commanded.

Daryl flinched as the hood was roughly yanked off and he was bombarded with the light of the day. He was briefly surprised that it was light out, the hoods having made it impossible to tell how long had passed. The first thing Daryl noticed was there was more people than he expected, at least twenty people standing watching them. He then noticed the wailing Judith laying on the ground ignored by the others. He glanced at Rick and saw him focused on his helpless daughter. 

He wasn’t the only one who noticed a grimy looking man followed Ricks gaze and chuckled, “Looks like daddy here is upset,” the man moved toward Judith and picked her up. Her cries escalated as he bounced her roughly on his hip. As Rick tried again to get up he was kicked. The man holding Judith laughed loudly. “You know I ain’t never had me one this young before,” he said his face darkening. He rubbed the side her head. Rick was fighting against the man holding him. 

“I should just have her right here,” he said with a smirk, stepping closer to Rick.

“You know that’s not going to happen,” a female voice interrupted him. The smirk left his face and Daryl was curious as fear took its place. He couldn’t see the woman yet, but he felt a considerable chill in the air just at her voice. 

“Come on Carol, you know I was just messin’ with the daddy here,” the man said almost pleadingly. 

Finally, Daryl saw a slender gray haired woman carrying a large machete approaching the man. “Give her to me and kneel,” the woman commanded. Wordlessly the man handed Judith over and kneeled.

“You’re not going to let her do this to me, are you boss?” the man asked sending a pleading look to a large man standing close to them. 

The man held up his hands, “You know the rules Jake,” the man said. 

The woman held Judith cradled against her body and Judith calmed almost immediately. She held the machete in her free and with no warning she dragged the sharpened end down the front of the man’s body. His shirt was cut away and a gash was opened along his chest and abdomen. She then slammed the handle of the machete against the man’s temple and he crumpled to the ground. 

“Take him away,” she said emotionlessly. Then turning to a woman who was in the crowd, “Did the baby have a bag?” the woman nodded and handed the woman Judith’s bag. Then without even a glance in their direction the gray haired woman was gone. 

The large man laughed, “Well that was entertaining.” The others laughed. He then turned his attention to Rick, “So where were we?” 

“My name is Art and these are my people,” the man explained throwing his arms open and turning in a circle. He moved closer to where they kneeled, “Who’s the leader of your fine group?” he asked as he walked back and forth in front of their line.

When no one answered he chuckled, “I bet it’s you, isn’t it daddy?” 

“Yes,” Rick snarled the word.

“Well I bet you’re wondering why we would bring your little group here, aren’t you?” Art asked as he squatted in front of Rick.

“You’re here because I feel like it,” he stood back up and moved along the line until he came face to face with Tara. He dragged her up until she was standing against him. “I’m also tired of my playthings,” he said as he ran his hands down Tara’s back before gripping her bottom and pulling her tighter against him.

The man pushed Tara to the ground, “I’m bored now. Put them away.” He said with a wave of his hand. 

Daryl growled as rough hands pulled him to his feet and drug him along with the others to a building. They were tossed inside with their hands and feet still bound. The building was more just four walls and no roof. It smelled of trash and urine. The ground was made of dirt and there was very little room to maneuver with all of them in it. They all managed to wiggle until they were sitting against the walls.

“Are you alright?” Rick asked Tara. His face was dark, his voice laced with anger.

“Yes,” Tara said quietly.

“Where do you think they took Judith?” Carl asked his face a mask of equal anger.

“We’ll find her,” Michonne said, before Rick could answer.

“What’s the plan?” Abe asked.

Daryl pulled hard at the ropes binding his wrist, he gave up as they started to bleed. “Can any of you get out of your ropes?” The others tried but it was of no use. 

Everyone tensed as something banged against the door, but no one came in. They could hear the loud voices of the people outside, shouting and laughing.

“We just have to bide our time for now, there’s nothing we can do,” Rick said with a sigh.

“What about Judith?” Carl asked again.

“We just have to be patient” Rick answered. Daryl knew he was acting much calmer than he felt.

They sat in silence for hours, listening to the rowdy group outside the walls. A young guy with a bad leg would come in occasionally to check on them. As night fell the noise gradually diminished until it was completely quiet. Daryl had just nearly nodded off when the door slowly squeaked open. Daryl tensed, it was too dark to see very well, the only light was coming from the full moon.

As the figure moved further into the room he could see the gray hair. It was the woman from before, walked into the room. She was wearing a poncho. She paused for a second before making her way to Rick. She pulled a knife out of a sheath at her waste. Rick flinched, but she ignored him and sliced the knife through the ropes at his wrists then ankles. She raised the front flap of her poncho and gently handed a sleeping Judith to Rick. Rick cradled Judith against his chest, but as the woman started to move away, Rick surprised everyone by grabbing the woman’s arm and pulling her into a hug. The woman seemed shocked, but recovered quickly. She gave him a nod, then she methodically went around the room and released everyone else’s ropes. 

When Abe started to talk she shushed him, she removed the poncho completely and removed a pack from her back. “I couldn’t get your weapons back,” she said quietly. “This is all I could gather,” she said as she handed out knives to everyone. “Everyone is asleep but the four guards. They have guns, but there mostly for looks. Try to avoid them, but if you have to they should go down easy.” 

“Why are you doing this?” Glenn asked suddenly.

She seemed annoyed at being interrupted, but she glanced at Judith and everyone had their answer. “You need to go north, that way,” she said pointing. “These guys will follow you so don’t stop until you just have to. Understand?”

At everyone’s nod she stood, “Good luck,” and then she was out the door.

“Do we trust her?” Daryl asked 

“Yes,” Rick said as he stood, cradling Judith to his chest.

Abe peeked out the door, “It looks clear we need to go now.” 

Daryl was the last one out of the room as the other all moved quietly through the night. The woman was nowhere to be found, and there was no one around. He could see people sleeping in random places on the ground but they all seemed to be oblivious to their escape. They had no problems making it out of the encampment, and they didn’t stop moving until well into the next day. When they finally stopped it was at an old house where they would be safe for a bit to regroup.

The group all sat in the small living room of the house and watched as Carl, Judith, and Tara laughed and played. It had been a close call and it was a relief to have a moment of levity. 

“There is still enough daylight left, I’m going to go hunt some food and water,” Daryl volunteered. 

“Do you want help?” Glenn asked as he usually did, even knowing Daryl would say no.

“I’m quicker by myself,” Daryl answered and Glenn just shrugged like he usually did.

It took Daryl nearly three hours to gather enough squirrels, rabbits, and water for the group for at least two days. He was slow making it back because of his added load, but the look of excitement on the others faces always seemed to make the hard work worth it.


	2. Chapter 2

1 week later

They had been moving consistently all week after seeing signs of the other group following them. Everyone was on edge because they were under armed and exhausted from constant vigilance. Daryl could almost feel the hope wash through the group as they found a well-hidden structure in the woods. Most likely an old barn that had been abandoned even before the turn. They would be protected from the elements and it was situated where they would be able to tell if anyone was around.

Daryl, Glenn, Rick and Michonne were chosen to do a sweep. They slowly and carefully checked the exterior not finding anything. Just before Glenn opened the door Daryl stopped him. There was fresh blood pooled just inside the door. As they walked in further they could see more blood, with a series of hand gestures they moved further into the room. The blood trail led to an alcove toward at the back of the building. 

Rick and Daryl approached slowly with their weapons raised. When Daryl rounded the corner he was confronted with the gray haired woman, she was covered in blood and her face was bruised and swollen. She was standing with her back against the wall a gun aimed at him. 

“Whoa, its Ok,” Daryl said, dropping his knife and raising his hands. The woman hesitated, before seeming to lose the will to stand. Lowering the gun, she leaned heavily against the wall sliding down until she was sitting on the ground. She had her left hand against her stomach just above her hip and Daryl could see it was still bleeding freely.

“I need help,” Daryl yelled to the others and moved to lift the injured woman, she tensed and then seemed to lose her battle as she lost consciousness.

“Is that the woman that helped us escape?” Glenn asked as he took off his jacket and placed it on the ground as Daryl lowered her. 

“Yeah, she’s in bad shape.” Daryl answered as he lifted her shirt to expose her wound. “I think she was stabbed,” someone handed him a clean shirt and he placed it over the wound adding pressure.

“Keep the pressure constant. Does anyone have water left?” Rosita asked taking charge of the situation. 

“Yes,” Glenn said as he gathered the water everyone offered.

“You need to start a fire and boil it…”

Daryl tuned out the commotion around him and focused on the woman who was starting to come back around. Her eyes opened and he could see the fear and pain in them, “Hey”, he said getting her attention. He scooted closer to her head while still keeping pressure on her wound, “You’re gonna be OK.” 

She closed her eyes and tears leaked from the corners, “Hurts,” she whispered.

“I know,” He wanted to say more, but didn’t know what to say. He was saved from having to say anything as she faded back out again.

Everyone worked for nearly an hour until they were satisfied she was OK for the time being.

“She has a stab wound, a gash on the back of her head, so she most likely has a concussion. You can see the bruises on her face,” Rosita paused and glanced back at the still figure on the ground. “She has bruises around her neck; she could have been…” Rosita didn’t finish but everyone knew what she meant. 

A moan drew Daryl’s attention to the woman, feeling himself drawn to her he was the first at her side. Kneeling he took her hand, “Don’t move too much, you have some stitches in you.”

She looked confused for a minute before she seemed to calm at the sight of them standing around her, “Thank you,” she said quietly.

Rosita to the woman’s side and leaned close and whispered something in her ear.

The woman sighed, “No he was trying, but I was able to fight him off,” she answered.

A wave of relief washed through the group. 

“What’s your name?” Daryl questioned.

“Carol,” she answered.

Glenn approached and handed Carol some water and pills, “These are the only pain pills we have.” 

Carol didn’t take them right away, “I don’t want to take your only pills,” she adamantly.

“Take em’,” Daryl pushed. “We’ll find more.”

After another brief hesitation she finally gave in and swallowed the pills with a swallow of water, she then offered the water back. “Finish it,” Glenn encouraged. 

“Thank you,” Carol said as she finished off the bottle in one big drink.

“Did your people do this to you?” Rick asked as he kneeled beside her. 

“They were never my people,” Carol answered, disdain coating her words. “I was with them because I couldn’t do it on my own, or at least I didn’t think I could,” she paused lost in thought. “You just learn to go into yourself. I saw the horrible things they did and I just ignored it,” she wiped at a tear that rolled down her cheek.

“What was that thing you did to the man who had Judith?” Rick asked

Carol snorted, “It was one of their rules. They weren’t even rules, just another way to cause pain. If you didn’t like something someone did, you could punish them,” she shrugged, “It doesn’t make any sense, but I learned quickly that if you did it often enough they wouldn’t mess with you.” She met Ricks eyes, “It was the only way I could save her. I had heard stories of the things he had done before, he had every intention of doing what he said.” Carol explained honestly.

“Is that why they came after you, because you stopped him?” Michonne asked.

“No, they figured out I was the one who let you out. Someone saw me go in the building.” Carol winced as she tried to adjust herself. 

Daryl moved without thinking and helped her sit up straighter. He met Ricks eyes and saw question in them. He was asking if they should trust her. Daryl shrugged subtly, still not quite able to get a read on her. She had helped them but that didn’t mean anything these days. Most people only thought about themselves.

“We know they were following us,” Rick moved closer, “Are they still out there?”

“They won’t stop until they find you,” Carol answered honestly.

Rick nodded, not surprised by the answer. After another minute Rick questioned, “How many people have you killed?”

Carol seemed briefly taken aback by the question but answered quickly, “Fourteen.”

Daryl was surprised and saw the same reaction on the others faces.

“Why?” Daryl asked.

“Five of them were to save myself and nine of them to keep them from turning,” Carol answered without going into more detail.

“How many walkers have you killed?” Rick continued his questioning.

“As many as it takes,” was the answer.

“You should rest,” Rick said as he motioned for the others to join him at the other side of the room.

“Do you we let her join us or leave her?” Rick asked his voice lowered. “She helped with Judith, but I can’t really get a read on her,” he admitted.

“Me neither,” Daryl agreed. “If we leave her we’re dooming her.”

“Saving Judith is a pretty big deal; she didn’t have to do that. She didn’t have to let us out either. I say we let her join,” Glenn asserted himself into the conversation, “I think she’s already proven herself.”

Maggie and Tara quickly agreed.

“I don’t trust her. She knew what was going on in that group and she stayed there,” Abe spoke. 

“I don’t trust her either,” Rosita agreed.

“I do,” Carl voiced his opinion.

“What about you?” Rick asked Michonne who had been quite.

“She saved us, I think we owe her a chance,” Michonne answered.

They were interrupted by the sound of a gun, Carol was at the window firing, Daryl started to yell for her to stop, but dropped to the ground when the walls exploded with bullets. 

They were outnumbered and under armed from the sound of it, only having the knives Carol had been able to get them. She was the only one with a gun. Daryl looked at the others and he could see the fear, he knew his face matched. Carl was cradling Judith against his body as she screamed in terror. 

For a brief second Daryl felt like it was truly the end until the sound of Carol yelling broke his conscious, “Get the baby into the alcove, they’re about to come in.” 

Carl took Judith to where they had discovered Carol and hunkered down.

“We can’t let them get in here,” Daryl said, flinching as another bullet impacted close to his head.

“We need them to come in,” Carol said as she moved closer to where he and Rick were on the ground. She quickly checked her ammo, “We need their guns. They will come in three at a time. I have three bullets. I will draw them past you and take them down, be ready to grab their weapons.”

Just as she had predicted three men burst in the door, just as she had moved toward the back wall and aimed her gun at the door. Daryl was impressed as the three shots took down the three men in quick succession. 

Daryl along with Rick and Abe all rushed forward at the same time grabbing the men’s guns. Daryl found a handgun in a holster on one of the men and handed it to Carol. She nodded and moved back to the spot she had been shooting from before. Now able to fight back they joined her. 

After about five minutes of firing Carol stepped back, “Move back they’ll be more coming in. It will be three more,” she warned.

Just as she finished the sentence two men and a woman rushed in the door. They didn’t stand a chance. The four of them moved back into position as the others armed themselves with the guns and joined them.

“They will come at us full force now,” Carol warned the others. 

Everyone braced themselves as chaos erupted as the house was attacked. Daryl took out two men before he was knocked to the ground by the third. The man had a knife to his throat as he pushed against his arm to keep it from slicing him. He felt his arms weakening, but suddenly the man was gone as Abe yanked him off. 

Daryl jumped back into the fray until there was one man left. It was the man Carol had humiliated before and he was now standing with a gun pressed against her temple. He looked nervous as Daryl and the others turned their attention on him. 

“This isn’t any of your business,” the man bargained. “Just let me have what’s mine…” his words were cut off as Daryl lifted his gun and shot the man in the head.

Carol was taken to the ground as the man fell back and Daryl rushed forward. She was already trying to right herself, he gently grasped her arm and helped her. 

“Thank you,” she said quietly. Daryl simply nodded and stepped away.

“Well that was fun,” Abe deadpanned as he looked around at the carnage. 

“We should head out, the noise will have all the walkers within miles heading this way,” Rick said as he took Judith from Carl. Turning to Carol, “Are you OK to travel?”

Daryl saw the look of surprise cross Carol’s face before she stood up straighter and answered, “Yes.”


	3. Chapter 3

They had been walking for hours and Carol was exhausted. It was clear that the group was used to these long treks but she was not. Before they had left the house they had gathered any supplies from the fallen men and set out. While they had walked everyone had made a point to introduce themselves to her. They all seemed nice enough but she knew from experience that often wasn’t the case. She had quickly learned the dynamics of the group. Rick was the leader, the two kids his. Daryl and Michonne were very devoted to him and the children. Glenn and Maggie were definitely a couple and a close one at that. Tara seemed to gravitate around them mostly, she couldn’t figure out the story there. Abe, Rosita and Eugene had most likely been a group before joining this one. They kept to themselves, but were also invested in the safety of the others. 

With the long walk and her injury, she had fallen behind, the group didn’t seem to notice but she didn’t expect them to coddle her. She tried to stay close enough to keep them in her sights but lost sight of them when the pain got too bad. 

She kept moving forward but was stopped short as a group of walkers exited the woods about ten feet in front of her. There was at least twenty of them. She froze hoping they would wander by and not notice her but she wasn’t that lucky and they turned in her direction as if drawn to her.

She grabbed the machete on her hip that she had gotten off one of the dead men and braced herself as the first walker got to her. She began taking them out systematically, backing up when too many were too close. She felt her stitches rip but knew she couldn’t slow down. She fought against the pain and kept going until there was only one standing. With the final blow she dropped to her knees.

She made it back to her feet and to the side of the road where she fell. She could feel the blood seeping from her wound and she was light headed from the pain. Trying to figure out what to do she heard the sound of running feet. 

She tensed when Carl slid to a stop beside her and dropped to his knees, “Are you OK? We didn’t know you weren’t behind us anymore.”

Carol was surprised at the worry on the boy’s face and in his tone, “I couldn’t keep up,” she admitted.

Daryl was the next to make it to her, “Damn you’re impressive,” he said with a slight grin as he looked over the pile of walkers.

Carol chuckled but tensed as it caused pain. They were soon joined by the others, they were all talking over each other and Carol tried to keep up but couldn’t. Their voices seemed to blend together and then there was nothing.

Carol jerked awake what seemed seconds later, but the darkness told her it had been hours instead. She was laying on a blanket with a bag under head. There was a fire burning nearby and she could hear quiet voices. She had a headache but the wound on her side was a dull ache. She raised up and quickly realized she was wearing different clothes, her walker stained clothes having been replaced. She tried not to think of how many of them had seen her underwear. She slowly got to her feet and made her way over to the fire where the others were gathered. 

“Hey!” Carl welcomed her.

She smiled and moved to sit beside him as he patted the log he was sitting on.

“Welcome back,” Rick said. “You were worrying us there a little.”

Carol sighed, “I would like to point out that I am not usually this high maintenance,” she joked, drawing a laugh from the others.

“We should have taken into consideration or injuries while we were walking,” Rick admitted. “It was our fault we just sort of get in a rhythm,” he shrugged almost sheepishly.

“It usually wouldn’t be an issue, but it’s been awhile since I’ve gone traipsing around everywhere. I haven’t traveled too far from the camp in a long time.” 

“Well judging from that pile of walkers you can definitely take care of yourself,” Glenn said with admiration. 

“Just got lucky,” Carol said, never having been good at accepting compliments.

The rest of the night was spent talking around the fire and getting to know each other better. Carol hoped they didn’t notice she had volunteered very little information. 

Carol volunteered to keep watch since she had slept earlier. Everyone quickly bedded down and she was soon left on her own. This was what she was more used to, being surrounded by people but being completely alone. The hours ticked away with no incidents and she was thankful. Soon the sky was bright and the others started to rise one by one.   
XXXXXXXXXX

Daryl was the first to wake up moving from sleep to wakefulness almost instantly. He sat up and looked around, disoriented from sleeping longer than he had in months. His eyes met Carols and she gave a slight smile and he nodded before quickly standing and heading off to hunt for some breakfast. As he walked through the woods his mind kept drifting to Carol. Ever since they had found her in the house he had been thinking about her a lot. He was confused about the feeling. The feeling of wanting to spend more time with her, to always be around her. It was the complete opposite of how he normally was around strangers, always wanting to have as little as possible to do with them. He was distracted from his thoughts at the sound of shuffling in the woods. 

He crouches and raises his crossbow moving slowly toward the sound. He is surprised to see a woman with a gun pointed at him. She stays silent. He tenses seconds later when he feels a gun being pressed into the back of his head.

“Don’t move,” a threatening female voice says from behind him. “Drop you weapon,” she orders and he has no choice but to listen.

“I know you have a group and I know ya’ll only have knives,” Daryl was only slightly surprised that they had been followed without knowing. “We’re going to take a little trip,” she finished and let out a shrill whistle and they were joined by two other women who were equally as armed.

It doesn’t take them long to find the others. At the sound of their approach Rick and the others jump to their feet. They push Carl and Judith behind them. Carol is nowhere to be seen.

“Everyone drop their weapons,” the woman behind Daryl demands. Everyone quickly follows the orders.

One of the women collects their weapons as another binds them. Their captors are silent, communicating mostly through hand signals and whistles. Daryl can’t help but be impressed with their organization. Daryl meets Ricks gaze, beside him and can see his anger. When one of the women picks up Judith she starts to cry and fight against the stranger’s touch. The woman is gentle and comforts her enough to stop the crying, getting one of Judith’s toys out of her bag.

“Do you think they’re the ones?” Daryl heard one of the women whisper to the one beside her. He didn’t hear the response of the other woman. 

Everyone tensed at a rustle in the woods. Carol came out of the woods and Daryl tensed more, a surprising surge of fear coursed through him. He didn’t want Carol hurt.

“What are you doing Denise?” Carol asked the lead woman casually.

“I should have known you would turn on us,” Denise snarled, venom coating her words.

“What are you talking about?” Carol asked. “The group was overrun; I was just staying with these people until I could make it back.” 

The words hit Daryl in the gut. He looked at Rick and Daryl could see confusion on the other man’s face.

“I got hurt, I was just using them for protection,” Carol explained. “Did you get their ropes tight?” Carol asked before she moved behind Daryl and Rick. Daryl can feel Carol messing with his ropes, but they get loser instead of tighter. Then she moves to Rick where he assumes she does the same. 

“Why haven’t you killed these guys already?” Carol asks, as Daryl feels the welcoming weight of a knife slip into his hand. 

There is a sound in the woods that distracts the other group and Carol takes the time to whisper, “They will not hesitate to kill you. Do it first,” and then she moves to inspect the noise with the other women.

Daryl is relieved that Carol was simply putting on a show. He wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if she had been using them. Daryl and Rick look at each other and silently communicate. Carol is standing with the women and casually having a conversation. She moves with her back to them and then Daryl sees her slowly counting down with her hands behind her back.

As she reaches zero, Rick and Daryl jump to their feet taking out the closest women. Daryl is only vaguely aware of Carol taking out two of her own. The fight is over in seconds. Carol moves and starts cutting the rope of the others.

“I’m sorry. They were out gathering supplies when everything happened. I didn’t even think about them catching us,” Carol said. “They’re the last of the group. We don’t have to worry about any others.”

“You’re acting is a little too good,” Carl commented with a chuckle.

Carol shrugged, “I’ve been lying for so long now, it’s just natural,” she paused and took in the group around her, “I think here though; I can finally be myself.”

She met Daryl’s gaze and smiled. He immediately smiled back.  
xxxxxxxxxx  
One Week Later  
The group were struggling. Carol’s knowledge of the area had helped keep them with water, but all the houses in the area had been picked clean and most of the animals hunted out. Daryl had managed only a few squirrels and rabbits. They were weak and exhausted, but kept moving.

At night they would bed down in easy to guard areas and taking turns sleeping. They would build fires and simply share stories. This was Carols favorite time of the day, it made everything almost seem normal. Just a group of friends sitting around a fire. The moment would ultimately be ruined by some undead straggler but even that wasn’t enough to diminish the feeling of family she got while interacting with this new group.

She ended up almost exclusively keeping watch with Daryl. She was sure it was on purpose, he always volunteered anytime it was her turn. He seemed shy, but they would talk quietly about simple random topics. She enjoyed their time together.

Tonight was like any other night. They were all around the fire, the setup of the area allowing for them to all sit together instead of needing someone on watch. They were in an alcove etched into the mountain and protected on three sides. 

“So Carol,” she looked up as Maggie said her name. “You haven’t told us much about yourself.”

“Not much to tell,” she had been reluctant to share her story when first getting with the group, but was now ready, as the group had been nothing but open with her. “I was a house wife before everything started. In the beginning when everything went to hell, it was me, my husband and my daughter,” she had to pause. “My husband was an abusive bastard and no help at all. We found a cabin early on and were OK for a while. One night Ed was outside actually doing something useful for once and we got over run. They got Ed, but somehow me and Sophia got out and managed to make it to a small camp that was nearby. The people were nice enough to let us stay,” she paused again remembering. 

“We stayed there for months. Then one night another group attacked us,” tears began to fall down her face. “Sophia and I were hiding, but were found. I got knocked out and when I woke up Sophia was laying beside me,” Carol paused to collect herself. “She was gone…they shot her, I think she was protecting me. One of the survivors at the camp put her down before I regained consciousness.” 

Everyone was silent watching her relive the events in her head. She looked up and smiled sadly, “I wanted to end it then, I didn’t have anything to live for. But one of the women convinced me I had to keep going because Sophia couldn’t.”

Maggie reached over and simply placed a hand on Carols arm, silently offering comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the info-dump. I never suggest for writers to give information all at once like that, but I needed to tell about Carol's past and didn't want to focus too much on it, as this story is very much about her present.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a difficult couple of weeks and the moral of the group was low. Daryl had been less and less successful in his hunts for food. They had been stuck in a small area for weeks, the number of walkers outnumbering them too greatly to move too far. The large number of walkers was directly related to their lack of food. Being poorly armed also added to their dilemma. 

They had started encountering large groups of walkers three days ago. Groups of 50 or more walkers. That was a sure sign that there would be bigger groups. They had been vigilant day and night and exhaustion was becoming an issue for the group. Daryl was on watch as well as Abe on the other side of the sleeping group. It had been several nights since the group had been able to sleep through the night.

Daryl was jerked out of his thoughts by the tell-tale sound of shuffling nearby. It wasn’t just one set of feet either. He looked across to Abe who jumped up obviously hearing the same noise.

“We need to move,” Abe went around shaking everyone awake.

Everyone was alert nearly instantly and they all started to run as walkers started to filter out of the woods in droves from every direction. There was so many of them and they were all pushing each other that Daryl was nearly over taken almost immediately, but was able to drop enough of them to take off. 

He could hear the efforts of the others as they fought, but he could only concentrate on himself. He completely lost himself in the battle and it wasn’t until the sky was lit that he was able to slow down and take in his surroundings. Walkers covered the ground all around him. He heard a noise to his left and jerked in that direction weapon at the ready, but it was only Maggie and Glenn, both covered in walker goo coming out of the woods toward him.

“Where is everyone?” Daryl asked.

In answer there was more noise as the others all made their way out of the woods. Rick was the last one, “I can’t find Carl or Judith,” his voice was panicked.

“Carol too,” Tara added.

“All right, we gotta look for them,” Daryl took the lead. They broke up into three groups and all set out in search.

They searched all through the day, well into the night with no luck.

“Do you think their together?” Rick questioned, his voice abnormally small.

“Yes I do,” Daryl answered honestly. “Carl is strong and Carol has proven herself, I’m sure they are fine.” Daryl wanted it to be true.  
XxxxxxxxxX  
Carl could no longer hear any walkers but kept moving to put as much distance between him and them as possible. He was aware that the more distance between him and them also put that much more distance between him and his family. But the weight of Judith in his arms spurred him on. Knowing he needed to protect her at all cost.

His adrenaline was beginning to wain and he could now feel the pain in his knee where he had been knocked to the ground as he fled. Finally stopping he knew it was a pretty serious injury and him and Judith were even more vulnerable. His arms were burning from the strain of holding Judith and he had no option but to sit down and rest or risk dropping her. 

He dropped down at the base of a large tree and placed Judith between his knees not willing to put her any further away from him. They were both filthy and sweaty but Judith had surprisingly been calm through the whole ordeal. Carl figured a this point it was instinct for her to be quiet, the new world even changing those so young.

He flexed his knee and had to bite back a yelp. They had been resting for only a few minutes when Carl heard the groans and shuffling feet. He grabbed Judith and tried to stand but his knee gave out immediately.

The sky was darkening but he could see well enough to make out the walkers ambling nearby. He held his breath and went completely still but Judith shifted and knocked his knee causing an involuntary grunt. The walkers all turned in unison in their direction. Carl tried again to get up but was unable to put any weight on his injured knee.

He looked around frantically searching for something to use as a weapon, having lost his hours before. Not finding anything he grabbed Judith and pulled her to his chest. She pushed against his tight hold but he held tighter. He watched as they approached, he refused to close his eyes. 

He jumped as a figure suddenly rushed up behind the walkers. He didn’t comprehend what was happening at first but then the walkers were on the ground, no longer a threat. He tensed when the person stepped over the walkers and rushed toward him.

“Carl.” He relaxed when he recognized Carols voice. She kneeled beside him and started to check them over, “Are you hurt?”

Carl smiled, the relief at not being alone almost overwhelming. “I hurt my knee. I can’t get up,” he finally answered. 

“OK.” Carol looked around seeming to be taking everything in, “There’s still more heading this way.” Then without another word Carol stood and started pulling the downed walkers closer to them, “Lay down,” she ordered. 

Carl caught on quickly and moved Judith between the tree and his body as he lay on his side. Carol rubbed the blood on all of them, “I’m going to put one over your torso and Judith, it might be enough to block out any noise Judith makes,” she removed her shirt and placed it over his head and Judith.

“OK, good.” Carl quickly approved, glad she had put the shirt over them first.

Carol worked quickly. Carl couldn’t see anything, but he held Judith tight as he heard the sounds of the walkers approaching. Carol moved up against his back laying down as well. She moved about, until finally settling with her arm over him and Judith. Then they could only wait.

Carl had no way of knowing how long they had been laying there when the tense air erupted with the sound of thunder, causing them all to jump. Judith whimpered but didn’t cry. Carl could feel Carol rubbing Judith’s back reassuringly. Despite the short time of knowing Carol he felt completely safe with her.

The thunder intensified and soon after, the rain started. The sound of the storm nearly drowned out the sound of the walkers. Judith was beginning to fidget, but stayed quiet. 

Some indeterminable amount of time later the rain and storm stopped and the sound of the walker was fading into the distance. Just to be safe they waited until they couldn’t hear anything but the wind rustling the leaves in the trees.

Carol finally moved away and pulled the bodies off of them, Carl was shocked to see it was daylight. Judith had managed to fall asleep a while before so Carl and Carol moved about quietly trying not to disturb her. Carl managed to sit up but when he tried to stand his knee wouldn’t hold his weight.

“Just stay down for a bit. Your knee is inflamed for sure,” Carol moved to sit beside him. “We can’t stay here. I think if we can tie something around your knee and stabilize it with sticks or something you’ll be able to move, slowly at least.”

Carl nodded and handed Carol his shirt when she asked. He watched her move about collecting the supplies needed, “How did you find us?” he asked while she worked, trying not to grimace as she moved his knee how she needed it.

“I saw you get knocked down and then take off. I just followed you but got a little behind because of the herd.”

“Did you see my dad? Or any of the others?”

Carol nodded, “When I left everyone was holding their own, their tough.”

“How separated are we?” Carl asked through gritted teeth as Carol tightened the shirt around his knee. There were two sticks on either side of his knee that were nearly as long as his leg. The pressure had already eased. 

“I wish I had something for the pain,” Carol commented before finally answering his question. “I don’t know… probably twenty or so miles. You ran all day.” 

“I just had to protect Judith,” Carl defended. 

Carol smiled and squeezed his arm, “I know. You did good.” She stood and held out her hand, “I’m here to help now. Try to stand.”

Carl took the offered hand and was able to awkwardly make it to his feet. He teetered for a second before he was able to release Carol’s hand and stand on his own.

“I’m pretty sure I know where we are,” Carol announced. “It’ll be slow moving but I think we can find shelter before morning.”

Carol gently picked up the sleeping Judith and they started on their search.  
XxxxxxxxxX  
Carol’s arms were quickly fatiguing from the dead weight of the sleeping body in her arms. Carl wasn’t fairing much better as he hobbled slightly behind her. While they had fought off the herd Carol had seen Carl take a nasty fall and then take off unarmed. It had only taken a second for her to decide to follow him. She had lost him several times but was thankfully able to find them each time. 

“Are we close?” Carl panted form beside her.

Looking ahead of them Carol could see the top of a building. It wasn’t what she had been looking for but looked secure enough, “Yes just a bit more,” she gestured to the structure. 

It took them what seemed like hours to trek the short distance to the building. When they reached the door Carol knocked and listened closely for movement. The building had most likely been someone’s hunting cabin at some time. It was a small one story box with a door and a window beside it and a small porch with an old chair.

“I don’t hear anything, but take her while I make sure,” she handed off Judith and took out her knife. When she opened the door she was able to tell immediately it was empty. The one room not offering any places for hiding. The room was mostly filled up with a sofa with a small table beside it. There was a candle on the table with a box of matches that Carol lit. It was dusty but seemed un-pilfered. There were several containers stacked against the walls. 

She called Carl in and smiled as his eyes brightened at the sight of the couch and possible supplies.

“Good find,” he smiled brightly and settled on the sofa with Judith beside him.

Carol moved over to the three storage bins against the wall, “Let’s see what treasures we have.”

The first container had 2 blankets and a small first aid kit. The second bin had a small hand gun and a half box of bullets, six bottles of water and several different condiments, as well as two more candles. In the third bin they hit the jackpot, finding several cans of food and 2 boxes of granola bars and several packs of assorted nuts.

“Looks like we’re having a feast tonight,” Carl joked, rubbing his hands together. 

Carol moved the food container closer to Carl so he could go through it easier. She went through the first aid kit, finding some pills for Carl’s pain, “Take these after you eat,” she explained passing him the pills. 

Judith eventually woke up fussy from hunger so Carol took a can of carrots and mashed them up adding a packet of sugar to make it more appealing. After Judith was full they sacrificed a bottle of water to clean Judith and Carol made a makeshift diaper out of part of one of the blankets. Clean and full Judith immediately went back to sleep. Carl wasn’t far behind her.

Carol silently moved around the room going through the drawers of a small dresser in a corner. She found 2 large hunting knives and an empty backpack.

Feeling sleepy herself she moved the bins and dresser in front of the door, neither Judith or Carl stirred. She lay on the floor beside the door, using a blanket as a pillow and quickly drifted to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than I wanted but I restarted it 3 times and felt like I needed to move on, so cut it short.

After a full day of resting and refueling Carol and Carl decided it would be best if Carol set out on her own in search for the others. Carl’s knee was better but not well enough to move quickly so they decided the risk wasn’t worth it. The shelter was secure and Carol left the gun and one of the newly found knives with Carl. Carol loaded the backpack with an extra knife and some food and water. She had been surprised when Carl had hugged her on her way out. It had felt good to have someone care.

Carol had been walking for hours with only a few encounters with walkers. She kept chuckling as she kept referring to them as walkers the name amusing to her for some reason. She had only taken a few breaks to snack and taking a few sips of water, needing it to last.

It was unusually warm for the time of year, which Carol was relived for, not caring for the cold weather, but she was sweating and that annoyed her. She had just paused for another brief rest when she heard what sounded like a shouting, nearby. She held completely still, focusing on the sound, trying to decipher exactly which direction it was coming from. When she was certain which direction, she headed that way.

It didn’t take her long to find the source of the shouts. Three men were fighting off a large group of walkers. They were holding their own but it appeared that one of them was severely injured and just barely holding on. Carol had an advantage so she quietly approached the walkers from behind, using the noise of the men to join the fight. Her arrival seemed to re-energize the weary group and they worked steadily until the walkers were disposed of.

As soon as the walkers were down the men clumped together and faced off against Carol their weapons raised, “Who are you?”

Carol wasn’t surprised at the turn of events. Not dropping her knife but holding up her hands, “I’m just helping out.” 

The obvious leader of the group looked her over intently.

“Your man is bleeding,” Carol pointed out as the men stared at her.

The other two men turned to the slightly slumped figure who was holding his arm. “Are you bitten?” one asked, fear coating his words.

The man held out his arm, a chunk of his forearm was missing, just above his wrist, “Just put me down.”

“If it just happened I can cut it off,” Carol cut in stepping closer, hands still raised, to get a better look. The men turned to her with wide eyes. “I’ve done it three times before. It’s obviously not guarantee to work, but you’re going to die for sure if we don’t try something.” 

“Did it work every time?”

“It worked twice.”

“It’s going to hurt, isn’t it?” the injured man asked.

“It will hurt until you pass out.”

“Do it.”

Carol immediately jumped into action. She had the bigger knife she had found at the hunting shack in her bag. It was smaller than what she would ideally use for the job but the blade was big enough that she could swing it down with some force. She instructed the men to gather their cleanest clothes, luckily they had bags containing washed clothing. She also took a belt from the smallest man and tightened around the arm. 

“You need to give him something to bite down on. You’ll have to hold him down.”

She only gave one warning before slamming the knife down on the forearm with all she had. The man made it through three cuts before blessedly passing out. Carol and the other men were all covered in sweat by the time the arm was removed. The men listened and followed her instructions intently and quickly and soon the bleeding was controlled. 

“We have a doctor at camp but it’s about 2 hours away,” the leader of the men explained. “How are we going to move him?”

“Oh, I have rope in my bag, I read in a book one time how to make a stretcher,” the youngest of the two men said excitedly pulling the rope from his bag. “I gotta find two big strong sticks. Thank God Cal is a skinny bastard.” 

Carol chuckled as the young man ran off in search of the supplies needed, leaving her with the leader. 

“I’m Reed.” 

“Carol.”

“Do you have a group?”

“Not at the moment,” Carol didn’t trust them enough to tell the whole truth.

“So, you’ve been surviving on your own?” 

Carol could tell he was suspicious of her, “I was separated from my group a while ago. I don’t know where they are.” 

“How did you get separated?”

“A herd.”

Reed nodded, “We’ve been lucky enough to avoid any herds so far. I’ve noticed a big increase in this area lately.”

“Is it just the three of you?” Carol asked, trying to get more information.

Reed looked her over longer and then as if coming to a decision he answered, “No, there are ten of us. We were hunting.”

“The wildlife has been nearly wiped out around here.”

Reed nodded looking glum, “I’ve noticed. We were attacked recently and our supplies took a big hit. We aren’t desperate yet, but we’re trying to be prepared.”

Carol understood the worry, “That’s smart.”

Any more conversation was stopped when the other man came back with two sturdy but manageable tree limbs to help carry the injured man. Following the man’s instructions Carol and Reed helped make a stretcher with rope. They carefully maneuvered the injured man on the ropes and slowly lifted him. Everyone released a relived breath as the ropes and limbs held and they could easily lift him.

“You are welcome to come with us,” Reed offered to Carol. “We at least owe you a meal and we have a cold shower you can use.”

Carol knew it was dumb to turn down the offer, “That would be nice thank you.”

“Oh and this is Jinx.” Reed said gesturing to the younger man who was gathering their gear to leave. At his name, he looked up and offered Carol a large smile and waved.

XXXXXXXXXX

“We need to find food Rick,” Glenn pointed out for the third time.

The group had been looking for Carl and Judith for two days straight with no food and very little water. Rick looked completely defeated. 

“You’re not going to be any good for them if you’re too weak to do anything for them,” Daryl pointed out.

They were all gathered in a clearing in the woods, “We should look for shelter and supplies and then regather our strength and start again stronger.”

“I know you’re right,” Rick finally said, sighing.

Nobody in the group was particularly familiar with the area but there was old houses and cabins scattered about. They searched three before they hit the jackpot and found an old farm house that hadn’t been picked over. There was enough food for a couple of days if they stretched it and they had even found a closet with two cases of water. 

Daryl was relieved, knowing the group wouldn’t have lasted much longer without this time to recuperate. 

“We’re going to find them,” he reassured Rick as he sat on the floor beside him handing him a plate of food full of a concoction Maggie and Sasha had thrown together. At this point, no one cared about taste.

“I just keep picturing them out there alone. What if Carol didn’t find them and their out there with no protection?” Rick asked.

“I have no doubt she found them. Why else would she just take off? She’s proven herself many times already,” Daryl pointed out.

Rick nodded, “I know.”

Daryl knew that wouldn’t stop Rick’s worry, but it calmed him enough to start eating. They ate in silence and then after deciding the house was secure enough for them all to sleep they all bedded down, making sure someone was in front of any point of entry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to give me any feedback good or bad.


	6. Chapter 6

The trip to the men’s camp had taken nearly an hour longer than normal. They had taken turns carrying the injured man and it had been exhausting causing them all to move slower than they had wanted. Carols arms were sore from the strain and her legs felt like jelly. She was nearly giddy when Reed had pointed out the building when it was finally in sight.

 

“The building belonged to my uncle before everything went to shit,” Reed explained as they got closer. “When things started to get really bad he started to fix the place up into a bunker of sorts. The doors and windows are reinforced and he had it stockpiled with supplies,” Reed paused lost in his head before continuing. “He never made it to the shelter, but I did with my wife and the others just kind of showed up and then didn’t leave.”  

 

“I was the first straggler Reed and Marcia took in,” Jinx spoke up. “I lost everyone early on, we were in the middle of the city and it went bad fast. I was starving and barely hanging on when I found this place,” he smiled suddenly. “Marcia fed me some of her stew and I decided then and there I was never leaving again.”

 

They all chuckled, the humor a welcome change from the melancholy subject.

 

“Marcia is your wife?” Carol asked Reed.

 

He nodded, “Yep. We’ve been together since high school,” he said with pride in his voice. “Then there is Vinton he was a foot doctor before the change, but he’s come in handy more than a few times. Allison was a school teacher and showed up with the youngsters so of course we took them in.”

 

“You have kids here?” Carol asked, somehow the news eased the lingering uneasiness of the situation for her.

 

“Yeah, 4 little brats,” Jinx said but he was smiling.

 

“Did you have kids?” Reed asked gently.

 

“Yes, I had a daughter.”

 

They continued the rest of their journey in silence. As they were nearly to the well-hidden door, that Carol hadn’t even seen to start with. It burst open and a woman and a gray-haired man rushed out, “What happened?” the man asked brusquely moving to Cal on the stretcher.

 

“He was bitten,” Jinx explained as they put Cal on the ground, “Carol cut off his arm.”

 

The two new arrivals looked at her in shock, “He has a bit of a fever, but that’s to be expected at this stage. We need to change the bandages.”

 

“Are you a doctor?” the man asked.

 

“No, but I’ve done this before. He’s doing well considering,” Carol shrugged.

 

“I’m Vinton,” the man introduced himself as he held out his hand.

 

Carol shook it and then Vinton was completely focused on Cal.

 

The woman who had exited with Vinton was wrapped in the arms of Reed as they talked quietly to one another. Suddenly Reed turned to her, “This is Carol. She saved our asses out there. This is Marcia,” he introduced.

 

“Thank you so much,” Marcia said, surprising Carol by pulling her into a hug.

 

“We promised Carol some good food,” Jinx said from beside them and was engulfed in his own hug from Marcia.

 

“Yes of course. Let’s get Cal settled and then we can all eat,” she looked at the three of them and then added, “After you wash up. I can find you some clothes if you need them Carol.”

 

“That would be great. Thank you.”

 

After nearly an hour of getting Cal situated with Vinton telling Carol several times how impressed he was, Carol was standing under a cold shower and she was sure it was the best thing she had ever felt in her life. The shower was set apart from the living area in the large building, but she could hear the children laughing and playing. The sounds had a calming effect on her.

 

As good as the shower felt she didn’t linger too long the cold quickly becoming too much. She found the clothes that Marcia had laid out for her. The group had been exceptionally welcoming, she figured it was because she had helped the family. Like her own new group this one was very much a family.

 

“Are you going to eat with us?” A small voice asked from nearby.

 

Carol turned and found Baylee and Gracie two sisters of 10 and 8 years old. They were both wearing nightgowns and holding hands. Their free hands held two matching dolls.

 

“Yes I am.”

 

The girls smiled and ran off giggling.

 

The eating area consisted of benches around a makeshift grill with a small fire built beneath it. There was a large pot of stew sitting in the middle of the grill and it smelt amazing. Carol stomach growled loud enough for the others to hear and everyone chuckled.

 

Despite being surrounded by strangers Carol felt strangely like a part of the group. As she looked around taking everything in she noticed while there were empty shelves that had likely been filled before their attack they still had a bountiful amount of supplies.

 

“Do you have any baby supplies?” Carol asked.

 

Everyone froze, “You have a baby?” Allison asked.

 

“She’s safe right now, with her brother,” Carol quickly explained. “Carl, her brother, was injured and couldn’t do a lot of walking so I came out by myself. They’re in a secure area for the time being. I just left them this morning.”

 

“How old are they?” Marcia asked.

 

Carol shrugged, “I’m not exactly sure, Carl is young but he’s been through a lot and is more than capable than taking care of them,” Carol admitted not doubting its truth for a second. “If you can spare the space, I would like to bring him here while I go look for the rest of our group.”

 

“Of course,” Reed agreed immediately. “We owe you more than a simple meal and shower.”

 

“When I find my group, they will be more than willing to help you with your supply problem,” Carol offered. “I have only been with them for a short time, but they have been out in it for a long time and are a very capable group.”

 

“How many are there?”

 

“Fourteen, counting the baby,” Carol answered.

 

“I think we have enough room if we move some stuff around,” Reed looked around a bit. “You all are more than welcome to stay here and regroup after you find them.

 

“I’m going to head out first thing in the morning and will bring Carl and Judith back.”

 

“I can go with you,” Jinx offered.

 

“Thank you, that would be helpful.”

* * *

 

After a night of surprisingly decent sleep, Carol was ready to go get Carl and Judith as soon as the sun started to rise. Jinx was up early as well eager to help her in anyway. They gathered their gear and weapons and were on their way before the sun was even completely in the sky. It was a cold morning and their breath left on a cloud. If there were no big issues they would probably be back in time for dinner, which Marcia had promised would be excellent.

 

“Do you think you’ll be able to find the rest of your group?” Jinx asked after having walked in silence for quite a way.

 

“I think so. I guess it depends on whether they have been looking for us,” Carol admitted. “I think they will stay in the same general area in case Carl was to come back.”

 

“You said you haven’t been with them long?”

 

“No, a couple of weeks.”

 

“Were you with a group before them?”

 

“Yes, they weren’t a very good group, and took Rick’s group hostage,” she remembered Jinx didn’t know who Rick was. “Rick is the leader,” she explained. “I helped them escape because they had Judith and the group I was with found out and punished me. I would have died, but was lucky enough for Rick and them to find me and they helped me.”

 

“That was good luck.”

 

“Yeah that doesn’t happen very often these days, does it?”

 

“It did for me,” Jinx said. “I would be long gone if I hadn’t found Reed and Marcia…”

 

The sound of shuffling brought the conversation to a halt. They both silently pulled out their knives and braced themselves as the sound of several shuffling walkers moved in their direction. Three walkers were suddenly in their path and Carol moved first taking out the first one. Jinx was right behind her taking out the second, as Carol took the third.

 

“We make a good team,” Jinx smiled slightly as he raised his hand for a high five.

 

Carol couldn’t help but smile back and slap his hand.

 

They quickly continued their way and swapped small talk until they approached the familiar cabin. Carol found herself getting nervous, knowing she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if something happened to Carl or Judith while she had been gone. A lone walker was ambling around the building.

 

“I got it,” Jinx said heading toward the walker.

 

Carol approached the door slowly and quietly knowing without a doubt Carl would be vigilant and she wasn’t in the mood to be shot. Knocking she called out, “Carl?”

 

The door opened almost immediately and she was met with a smiling Carl, “Hey.”

 

“Hey. I found a safer place for you and Judith, and they have baby stuff for Judith,” Carol explained why she was back so soon.

 

Carl tensed and reached for his weapon when Jinx walked up beside them, “It’s OK,” Carol said quickly. “He’s with us.”

 

He relaxed immediately, “Are we leaving now?”

 

“Yep, how is your knee?” Carol entered the cabin to find Judith sitting on the ground playing with several empty food wrappers. When she saw Carol, Judith smiled and held out her hands to be picked up. Carol bent and scooped her up, reveling in Judith’s happy giggle.

 

“I think she missed you,” Carl commented from behind her. “My knee is sore but I can put weight on it now,” he continued demonstrating just that.

 

“That great,” Carol said genuinely pleased. “We don’t have too far to walk and we didn’t run into too much trouble on the way here.” They sat about gathering as much of the left-over supplies they could comfortably carry, knowing that coming back for any leftovers wouldn’t be a big deal.

 

“When we get you settled I’m going to set out and look for your dad and the others,” Carol announced to Carl. “I don’t want to give them too much time to get too far away from where we saw them last. It’s still in my head where they were, so if they haven’t gone too far it should be easy enough to find them,”

 

Carl nodded. Looking slightly worried, but keeping those worries to himself.

 

“Reed, the leader of this group, is going to allow us to stay with them until we can regroup,” she said as they continued their walk. She went on to give Carl a rundown of the setup they had, Jinx joining in to answer any of the questions Carol wasn’t sure of the answer to.

 

When they reached the camp, they were met with a welcome party much like the day before. Carl and Judith were taken and offered a warm meal of stew and rice and clean clothes and a shower.

 

“You’re leaving tomorrow to find your group,” Jinx asked from his spot to Carols left. They were eating their welcome home meal it was every bit as good as the one from the day before had been.

 

“Yes,” Carol answered simply.

 

“I can come with you. I think we make a pretty good team,” Jinx offered smiling slightly, shyly.

 

Carol knew from the little bit of time she had spent with him that Jinx simply wanted to help. He also seemed to feel like he owed her for saving them and Vinton who had finally woken up and besides a low-grade fever seemed to be recovering very nicely from his trauma.

 

“If you’re sure you want to go back out there, I won’t say no to a little help,” Carol told him. “We’ll leave at first light, just like today.”

 

Jinx nodded excitedly and went back to his meal.

* * *

 

The rest of the night had passed uneventfully with Carl and Judith getting settled. Now, early the next morning, Carol was once again saying goodbye to Carl and heading out, “Try not to worry, it will most likely be a few days before we’re back. OK?”

 

Carl nodded and once again hugged Carol.

 

The morning was cool, but they were making good time as they headed toward where the group had last been seen. Jinx filled most of the air with chatter to pass the time. Carol, started to find it comforting, the boys good attitude toward life refreshing.

 

It was nearing the evening and they had only taken a few breaks. The walker count was starting to get higher and Carol was afraid they may be approaching the herd. They had only dealt with loan stragglers for the most part, but the clusters were growing.

 

“What are we going to do?” Jinx asked as they stood behind some trees. A large group of walkers having just made their way by them, while they hid quietly.

 

“If we turn back we’re just going to hit the groups again. I think we just keep moving forward,” Carol offered.

 

Jinx nodded in agreement.

 

Their luck held out and they only met a few more small clusters of walkers before they found a random shed, type building to take shelter in for a quick rest. The building was only made of tin but had a door that was still intact and locked.

 

They settled on the ground relieved to be able to sit and rest for a bit.

 

“Isn’t it weird the random buildings you find in the woods?” Jinx asked off-handedly. “I mean who has a random tin shed in the woods?”

 

Carol chuckled, “Someone probably used this place to camp, and this was where they kept wood, or extra equipment,” she guessed.

 

“Oh yeah, that makes sense.”

 

They only talked a few more minutes before sleep finally overtook them.

* * *

Daryl was sitting outside on the porch of the house they had been in for several days. They had all come to a vote to stay in the house and take advantage of the comfortable beds and shelter. Rick had become increasingly despondent. Daryl had taken over the leadership role, everyone easily accepting the change, understanding the fear in Rick.

 

Daryl had chanced hunting the day before and managed to scrounge up enough squirrels for some fresh meat for dinner. A meal always seemed more satisfying if there was meat. It was a cool evening but the air was fresh and smelled amazing. Daryl was always more relaxed outside.

 

He tensed as he heard what sounded like voices, he stood and went in the house, “I think I heard voices,” he told the others who were all in the living room. Everyone is immediately alert and standing.

 

Daryl, Rick and Glenn head out to the porch to wait for the approach of the intruders. The others are inside, blocking all the entrances.

 

It doesn’t take long for Daryl to see a young man walk out in the opening, we he spots the three men on the porch he raises his hands and says something, most likely to the person with him that is still hidden by the trees.

 

Daryl recognizes Carol immediately as she comes out into the opening, him and Rick are off the porch immediately running toward the woman.

 

Rick reaches her first, “Carl and Judith are both fine,” Daryl hears her tell Rick. “Carl hurt his knee but he’s already walking on it better. He kept Judith safe. They’re with a group we found, this is Jinx,” she gestured to the boy beside her, “It’s his group.”

 

Rick pulled her into a hug, and as soon as he let go of her Daryl found himself pulling her into a hug as well, surprising them both.

 

They were soon settled in the house, “How far away is this group?” Rick asked as they all sat around the living room.

 

“It took us two days to get here,” Carol answered. “The walkers are pretty dense in the woods, I figure it’s from the herd.”

 

They planned for a couple of hours before finally coming up with a plan to leave the next morning giving Carol and Jinx some time to recover from their journey. It had taken a little convincing on Rick’s part, but his logical side had won out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
